Photojournalist shared experiences with students, community members

National Geographic photojournalist Alexandra Avakian took her audience on a “journey of the Muslim world”, sharing her photographs and stories Thursday night at Ernie Pyle Hall.

Students, faculty and Bloomington community members packed the lecture hall to hear Avakian speak of her 20 years of experience photographing Muslims across the world and visiting numerous countries documenting war, conflict, culture and beauty.

After an introduction by professor Steve Raymer, who called Avakian “a faithful witness and humanitarian who puts down the camera to help save a life,” listeners heard pieces of Avakian’s travels and personal experiences in Bosnia, Iran, the West Bank, Somalia and many other countries.

Avakian spoke on time spent in Yasser Arafat’s plane, covering Hamas riots, traveling with body guards during war, photographing children in genocide and times that she was beaten when caught in violent scenes.

“It was a dream story for a person like me,” Avakian said of her time in Hezbollah.

“My stories took a lot of patience and faith,” Avakian said, sharing everything from violent war photographs to scenes at parties and beaches. “My job was to do everything I could to make a picture of their lives.”

Avakian said her family’s work in the arts and interest in her own roots inspired her to photograph Muslims and travel to very dangerous and beautiful places.

“It was of the upmost important to me to express the stories of people under pressure and in trouble,” Avakian said.

Avakin also showed pictures taken in Somalia during famine.

“It was a service type of journalism where you are smelling death,” she said.

After Avakian’s award-winning photographs were published in many American and European publications including Time and Life, she shared why she has also written her books including “Windows of the Soul: My Journeys in the Muslim World.” When certain photographs were cut from publication, Avakian said she still felt an obligation to share them.

“These pictures haunted me for years when they weren’t published because I had the opportunity to share what they went through,” she said. “I’ve just been really fortunate that these people shared their lives and their deaths with me; and here are some moments of people and places that I’ll never forget.”

At the end of her lecture, Avakian took questions from listeners, encouraging students to take pride in their pictures.

“If you believe in your pictures, other people will; they will feel it.”

“I came in not knowing what to expect, and I was blown away by her collection of work and really moved by her experiences and details,” senior Lauryn Gray said after the lecture.

Pictura Gallery in Bloomington will close its gallery of Avakian’s work Friday after she signs copies of her book “Windows of the Soul: My Journeys in the Muslim World” at 6 p.m.